Monday, May 23, 2011

Butterfly Dance

I just could not bring myself to write anything about Joplin, Mo. last night. I was doing laundry yesterday evening, and had turned the tv on the weather station......I thought at first they were showing a special on the Alabama tornadoes, and then at the bottom of the screen, I saw the words breaking news. I got sick to my stomach.....all I could do was sit and cry. It has been almost a month, and no, nothing is normal......yeah, the debris is being moved, the roads are cleared, but
the devastation is everywhere. I find myself, more emotional than I have ever been in my life.

I thought about the first few days after the tornadoes, that first morning.......something was strange and I couldn't put my finger on it, the second day.....that same feeling, finally the third morning.....
I realized I had not heard any birds sing, and had seen very little wild life. After about a week, the birds and the wildlife began to reappear. Yesterday morning as Rick and I took our morning walk, I mentioned to him that before the storms we had had more butterflies than I could remember seeing in years.......had not seen any since the storms. Before we finished our walk, there was a large yellow and black butterfly dance across the sky in front of us, it was magic!

Tonight I send prayers and blessings to those in the midwest......their lives have changed forever......but like we Alabamians they will learn the kindness of strangers, they will find strength they never knew they had, and they will know that life goes on. I hope they hear birds sing and a butterfly dances across blue skies soon.

6 comments:

  1. There was a man from Joplin on CNN today, and he was talking about how overwhelmed he was by all the people from outside the area who were coming in to help. So they're already experiencing the kindness of strangers. I hope they'll be experiencing the butterflies, too, and very soon. A lovely post.

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  2. literally....sitting here with tears in my eyes....what a wonderful sentiment...hugs to you...

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  3. A faith in all that is good in the world born on butterfly wings. SMILE

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  4. Wonderfully written Jilda. It is a hard thing to put into words.

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  5. (((Jilda)))

    A couple of months after the car wreck that killed my husband I was watching a movie that had a scene where someone had gotten hit and was trapped between the car and a tree I think it was. Their chest was crushed (as his had been by the drive shaft) but were still conscious and talking to their significant other knowing that their injuries were fatal. I don't remember many detail because that scene DEVASTATED me and I couldn't watch it.

    It was shortly after I'd come to SC and the people I was watching it with had no clue why a movie was affecting me that way. It wasn't exactly the same of course, but it so threw my thoughts right back to that night. It was like living it all over again. I think seeing a similar tragedy when the time frame is that close, we don't have the insulation we normally would.

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  6. I am so proud the way our country does run to help those who hurt and this is another example.

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